Lesson Learned
by Cosmean
Summary: When his best friend is badly injured from a work accident while at the park, Rigby learns that in life actions really do lead to consequences. Warning: for some dark and depressing themes.
**Disclaimer: I don't own RS.**

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Rigby paced back and fourth anxiously outside the Emergency room, both arms held tightly behind his back. He felt like he was on the verge of tears as he thought about what was yet to come.

His best friend Mordecai had been badly injured while at work and was comatose. Every time he visited him in the hospital he felt like someone had just ripped out his heart and broken it in two. Without Mordecai he was nothing, for he was the one who had gotten him the job as a groundskeeper to begin with.

If he hadn't messed up like he usually did the blue jay wouldn't had taken quite a tumble, ending up inside the building filled with doctors, nurses, and other sick patients that had came and went.

Stopping to look outside the window a memory flashed before his eyes.

" _Dude, wake up, we're late!" Mordecai called out to his best friend Rigby who had been lying on his trampoline sound asleep, drool leaking from his mouth as he laid flat on his back. Snores rumbled in his throat with each breath he took._

 _It was an early Monday morning at the park, and the two slackers were asked to clean out the gutters as one of the chores on their to do list from their strict boss Benson._

 _Mordecai knew the raccoon was no morning person and that he would rather stay up all night to play video games, or watch movie marathons than to get down and dirty with yard work._

 _He signed and grabbed an empty soda can off the floor and threw it hard at Rigby._

 _"Ow, what the heck was that for?!" He exclaimed, immediately sitting up while rubbing his head._

 _"It's time for work. Benson told us to clean out the gutters, I told you we shouldn't had stayed up late last night playing video games. Didn't you learn anything from the last time we stayed up so late?"_

 _"Ugh, again?_ _Yard work is even worse then house work, and I don't like doing either of it. Can't we just play some more video games?''_ _Rigby groaned as he swung his legs out over the trampoline to stand on his two feet._

 _"Look, Rigby._ _Life isn't all fun and games, there comes a time in life where you have to grow up and be responsible. We didn't apply for this job just to slack off and play video games all day long.''_

 _Rigby groaned. ''Fine, you're the worst. But did you really have to throw that soda can at my head?''_

 _"It was the only way to get your attention." Mordecai retorted, coldly._

 _"Well, it worked. But next time wake me up the way normal people do. You know I'm a light sleeper."_

 _"More like a noisy sleeper."_

 _"STOP TALKING!" Rigby shouted before stomping out the door towards the stair case, his friend Mordecai following after him. Both ready for another long, hard day at work._

 _After finishing their cup of coffee the two friends headed outside to grab the ladder and hose from the shed to climb up onto the rooftop to clean out the gutters like Benson had instructed._

 _"Alright, turn on the water so we can get these disgusting gutters cleaned out." Mordecai called out as he reached the rooftop._

 _Rigby, mumbling under his breath walked over towards the shed to turn the water on. A huge stream of water blasted out from the hose, soaking both the roof and Mordecai._

 _"Rigby, turn it off!" He managed to choke out._

 _Suddenly Mordecai lost his balance, slipped and fell off the roof and onto the hard ground._

 _Dropping the garden hose he held at the sound of his friend's screams of terror and the sickening crunch of broken bones, Rigby bolted over towards the now unconscious groundskeeper on all fours before he screeched to a halt._

 _Mordecai now laid near the white stair case at the front of the house. Water dripping down from the shingles creating a puddle on the ground._

 _"Mordecai!"_

 _"RIGBY, WHAT'S GOING ON?!"_ _Benson yelled out in anger as he and his other employees approached them._

 _"Aw, sick! What happened to Mordecai, bro?" Muscle Man finally spoke up, breaking the unusual amount of silence that filled the air._

 _Rigby ignored the park prankster and kept his eyes on the body that laid out in front of him. Benson angrily tapped his foot off the ground as he waited for an answer._

 _"Answer Muscle Man's question, Rigby. What happened to Mordecai?" Skips asked sternly while raising an eyebrow at his immature co worker._

 _"Tell us what just happened, or you're fired!" Benson barked._

 _Paralyzed with fear Rigby gulped at the gum ball machine's harsh tone before speaking. "H-he fell off the roof while we were cleaning out the gutters." He confessed._

 _Benson's face began to glow a bright red showing his anger. "WHAT?!"_

 _"I'm telling the truth, Benson. That's what happened. I'm not making this up," the raccoon added weakly._

 _"Oh dear, is he breathing?" Pops asked with a hint of fear in his voice._

 _Skipping over towards Mordecai's body, Skips checked to see if he had a pulse before giving the group his response._

 _"He's still alive, but barely."_

 _"Call an ambulance, now!" Benson demanded before turning back to Rigby now wearing a look of disappointment._

 _"See what happens when your shenanigans get the best of you? Somebody gets hurt. I've been trying to get that into your thick headed skull ever since you two started working here, but you never listened to me. Now you have to face the consequences."_

 _"You know who else has to face the consequences? My mom!" Muscle Man grinned while giving his best friend a high five._

 _"Now is not the time for your lame jokes, Muscle Man." Benson grumbled, leaving Rigby to hang his head in shame as the ambulance pulled up into the drive way with its lights flashing._

 _The paramedics opened up the back doors of the vehicle and pulled out the stretcher, carefully placing an injured Mordecai onto it._

 _Rigby tearfully placed a paw on his best friend's heart and stared at his motionless form._

 _"You're gonna be okay, bro. You're gonna be okay."_

Pulling himself away from the window, Rigby signed heavily and sat down in one of the chairs inside of the waiting room.

Tears of anger and sorrow trailing down his cheeks, feeling the grief eating away at his wounded heart.

"I'm sorry, Mordecai. I'm so sorry."

Rigby laid on his beloved trampoline one night while staring at the empty bed across from him, his heart ached with pain at the thought of never seeing his best friend again.

Turning his back away from the bed, Rigby felt the horrible memories come flooding back before hearing a knock on his bedroom door.

"It's open."

The door then opened to reveal his boss and the rest of the park crew who all wore a look of concern. "How are you feeling, Rigs?"

Fives flew into the room and placed a paper bag down beside Rigby. "We brought you back a grilled cheese sandwich from Cheezers on the way back from the hospital.''

''Thanks, but I'm not hungry.'' Rigby told the little ghost, not bothering to turn around.

''We know you feel awful about what happened to Mordecai, Rigby. But you know he certainly wouldn't approve of you lying around and starving yourself.'' Skips stated.

''I deserve it. I'm a horrible friend.''

"That's not true, Rigby. Remember that time where you saved us from those killer hot dogs, and from that monster while we were on the moon with your magical keyboard?" Skips questioned while he and the others approached the depressed Rigby.

''And where you helped me get over my fear of public speaking.'' Pops chimed in.

"What are you saying?"

"What we're trying to say is that you're a good friend, Rigby. Mordecai's very lucky to have you around in his life, and if you want to continue to be there for him then I suggest you eat that sandwich and go pay him a visit."

Wiping the rest of the tears away from his face Rigby finally sat up to face his friends with a small smile.

"Okay."

Back at the hospital Rigby sat in the waiting room while flipping through a video game magazine that laid on the chair next to him.

Flipping through the pages he thought about himself and Mordecai being back home together, playing in the living room like they had always done before he got hurt.

"You can come in and see him now, Rigby." He heard Benson's voice calmly say after what seemed like forever to him.

Putting the magazine back down on his chair, the raccoon followed his boss into the room where his best friend had stayed.

Entering the room he seen the blue jay laying there covered up by a warm blanket while his injured leg was elevated and sealed in a cast.

One of his wings was up in a sling, a bandage wrapped around his head to prevent anymore damage to his brain.

"How are you feeling, Mordo?" Rigby asked gently while taking a seat next to his best friend.

"I've been...better." He weakly chuckled causing him to wince from the pain he was going through.

"How are...you doing...without me?"

"It's been rather tough, man. I'm just so glad you're gonna be okay, and I'm really sorry for putting you in a coma. I should had listened to what you've been saying."

"You're forgiven, and I missed...you too." Mordecai croaked with a weary but forgiving smile forming on his beak.

"Thanks for...visiting me, Rigby. You're...a good...friend."

His loyal companion gave him a small smile in return at that last comment. "No problem, Mordecai. After all, you visited me while I was in that deadly coma from eating that omelette. It's the least I can do for you."

Unknown to the two friends from outside the room standing in the door way, Benson and the rest of the group smiled at what they saw before finally leaving the scene to head back to the park.

Thankful that Mordecai would finally be okay.


End file.
